Cop Accused of Snitching on Gambling Raids

Retired officer tipped off company about raids, took bribes, indictment says

A former Fort Worth police officer tipped off a gambling company six days before a series of then-secret law enforcement raids, according to his indictment released Monday.

Ed Adcock turned himself in to the Tarrant County jail Monday morning and was quickly released on bond.

Adcock, a longtime vice officer, informed an attorney for Aces Wired that police were going to execute search warrants targeting the company’s "8-liner" video game parlors two years ago, the indictment said.

The raids were part of the largest gambling investigation in Texas history, state Attorney General Greg Abbott said.

On May 21, 2008, police served search warrants on the company’s game rooms all over Texas, including Fort Worth, San Antonio and Corpus Christi, shutting down the operation. Investigators also searched Aces Wired’s headquarters in Dallas.

Adcock's tip allowed the company to hide evidence, the indictment said.

Adcock retired in early 2008 but continued working as a reserve officer until May, Dean said. Adcock could not be reached for comment. His attorney, Michael Heiskell, did not return two phone calls.

The indictment does not specify how much money Adcock allegedly accepted.

Lori Varnell, an assistant Tarrant County district attorney, said the case will be prosecuted "to the fullest extent possible."

"Our office takes this kind of action by police officers very seriously," Varnell said. "It puts officers' lives in danger, and it also hinders our ability to gather evidence and obtain the truth."

A Tarrant County grand jury indicted Adcock on Friday, but the document detailing the accusations was not released until after he surrendered on Monday.

Earlier last week, four Aces Wired executives pleaded guilty in Tarrant County District Court to assorted charges and agreed to surrender nearly $1 million in gambling proceeds.

Gordon Graves, 72, pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence. He received a $5,000 fine and a two-year deferred sentence.

Graves, an Austin millionaire, set up Aces Wired in 2005 and argued it was legal because it rewarded players not with cash, but with points on a card they could later redeem for merchandise.

"The card has monetary value and you can't tell me otherwise," Bexar County prosecutor Adriana Biggs told the Austin American-Statesman.

Attorney General Abbott ruled it was illegal months before the crackdown.

The other executives, Kenneth Griffith, 59; Jeremy Tyra, 27; and Knowles Cornwell, 57; all of Dallas, pleaded guilty to hindering apprehension and prosecution. They were fined $4,000 and given two-year deferred sentences.

As part of their plea agreements, the four executives agreed to cooperate with ongoing state and federal investigations.

If convicted, Adcock faces up to 20 years in prison.

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